Controlling device for voting-mechanisms.



1. A. BUTLER..

CONTROLLING DEVICEYFOR VOTING MECHANISMS. APPLICATION mfp FEB.15,1913.

1,172,668. Patented Feb. 22, 1916.

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UNITED STATES' PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES A. BUTLER, OF WINTHROP, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN VOTlNGr MACHINE COMPANY, OF BOSTONQMASSACHUSETTS, CORPORATION OF MAINE.

CONTBOLLING DEVICE FOR VOTING-MECHANISMS.

Application led February 15, 1913.

' ings; is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

The present inventionfrelates to controlling devices for voting machines of the type wherein the registering vote counters. are operated -by key spindles adapted t0 be turned a certain amount, usually a half revolution, to register each vote.

In the illustrative and preferred embodiment shown, the invention is applied to a type of voting machine wherein two parallel vertical slide bars are adapted to coperate for controlling each key spindle, organized machines of this type being shown in the patents to Johnson. No. 7 37 ,412, August 25, 1903, and 960,020', May 31, 1910.

A prime object of the invention is to provide key spindle controlling devices in this or a similar type of voting machine of improved form, adapted to permit each voter at any time before he leaves the booth to turn back and change his vote if he wishes, the mechanism being automatically locked to prevent such turn back by the operation of an exit lever as the voter goes out.

A further object of the invention is to provide devices for the purpose stated, of a more compact, simple and efficient form than has heretofore been known, and to provide a construction operative with certainty and precision for performing the required functions.

The above and other objects and features of the invention will be better understood from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and will be thereafter pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings; Figure 1 is a fragmentary View partly in elevation and partly in section showing a fragmentary portion of a voting machine mechanism, with my invention embodied therein; the parts being shown in position for voting: Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the parts in position after voting, and before the voter has left the booth; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 22, 1916.

serial No. 748,577.

elevation showing adjacent key spindles with their' controlling slide bars, and illustrating the possibilities of compactness in v arrangement which my improvements permit; Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevation of the exterior of the machine; Fig. 5 is a cross section on line 5 5 of Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary elevation at right angles to Fig. 1; Fig. 7 is a detail view showing the springs to resist turning of the key spindle. and the indicator; Fig. .8 is a sectional view of part-s shown in Fig. 6 with other parts removed; and Fig. 9 is a fragmentary detail showing a controlling slide bar in a different position from Fig. 1.

A key spindle is indicated at 10 adapted to receive an operating key 11 to be turned for voting. This spindle has ixed'thereon a. hub 12 equipped with oppositely extending teeth 13 adapted as the key spindle is turned to engage the teeth of a rack formation 14 formed on a vertical slide bar 15. The key spindle has loosely mounted thereon back of the teeth 13 a ring 16 equipped with opposite relatively wide teeth or pro jections 17, this ring being shown as fitted on the hub 12, and held against forward displacement by short pins 18 carried thereby. The ring 16 has a lost motion turning connection with the spindle 10, consisting in wings or prongs 19 which project at opposite sides from the hub 12'engaging in cut out recesses 20 in the ring, these recesses be ing of a size and angular extent to permit the prongs 19 to move some little distance therein before coming up against the shoulders at each end thereof. The projections 17 are formed with stop shoulders at each side adapted to engage coperating stop shoulders 21 formed on each of two horizontally arranged arms 22. 23 pivoted to the frame work below and above the ring respectively at 24, 25, these arms being drawn toward each other to press against the ring 16 by a spring 26 connected to the free end of each arm. The arm 23 extends back of its pivot 25, with a bell crank formation eX- tending up with a pin 27 at its end which is engaged by a cam formation 28 on the outer side of the second vertical slide bar 29, -which with the bar 15 constitutes a couple for controlling each key spindle. The ring 16 is also equipped with opposite pins 30 which as the spindle turns succeson the inner side of bar 29, this formation as shown being of some little length, with a stop shoulder 32 at its upper end and a rounded out shape 33 at its lower end. The slide bar 29 is normally drawn upward by suitable means shown as a spring 34 secured at one end to a fixed abutment 35 and hav'- ing its other end engaging one extremity of a lever arm 36, the other end of which has a pin and slot connection 37 with the bar 29. It will be understood that the bars 29 and 15 have provision for being locked at the downward limit of their movement when required, an illustrative means to this end being shown in the patents above mentioned. rIhe bar 15 is provided with means adapted to yieldingly resist its vertical movement, shown as a vroller, 38 carried at the end of an upright lever arm 39 pivoted at 40 to the frame work and having a hair pin spring 41 arranged to operate thereon for pressing the roller 38 in between the rack teeth of the bar 15. I also provide means for yieldingly resisting the turning of the key spindles and for this purpose they are formed with a flattened portion 42 which is engaged at its opposite sides by presser bars 43 slidably fitted on spaced apart parallel rods 44 on which are mounted springs 45 acting against fixed abutments 46 at the outer ends of the rods to press the plates 43 yieldingly against the flattened portion 42 to interpose the requisite resistance to turning movement thereof. An indicator to denote that the vote'has been registered is provided in suit-l able form, as shown by a head 47 on a lever arm 48 pivoted at 49 to the frame work and actuated by aV pin and slot engagement 50 with the lever 23 of the key spindle controlling mechanism.

In operation the key spindle is turned from its position shown in Fig. 1, where it is set ready for voting, in the direction of the arrow to the position shown in Fig. 2. In this movement the thenlower tooth 13 is turned up to engage the rack teeth of bar 15 and lift said bar, at the same time operating the counting device. It will be observed that while this is a 180o movement of the key spindle, that the ring 16 at the same time moves considerably less than a half revolution, and that the projections 17 thereon are so arranged that the forward shoulder of the then upper one engages shoulder 21 of arm 23 at just the right point to stop the key spindle after it has made a half revolution, this stop position being indicated at a in Fig. 2. It 'will be observed that while the key spindle is locked against any further forward rotation at this time it may be turned back, since the then lower projection 17 of ring 16 has not moved past the stop shoulder 21 of the lower arm 22.- This is the position which-the parts occupy after voting, and before the voter leaves the booth.

On leaving the booth, however, the locking and resetting mechanism (not shown but which may be as in the above mentioned patents) moves the bars 15, 29 downward. This movement causes the upper shoulder 32 on bar 29 to engage the one of the pins 30 on the adjacent side of thel ring 16 to move said ring farther around or to a position corresponding to that of Fig. 1, where the lower projection 17 moves past the shoulder 21 of arm 22 and is therefore locked against turning back," this alsolocking the key spindle against backward rotation since the prongs 19 'then engage the sides of recesses 20 to prevent such rotation. The upper stop arm 23 is moved out of the way to permit the movement just described,

by the engagement of pin 27 on the rear end thereof, by the cam formation 28, which lifts the stop shoulder 21 of said arm up away from the projection 23, as the bar 29 is moved downward in resetting the device forthe next voter. As the slide bars are operated by the voter turning the key spindle, the indicator arm 48 is swung up by lever 23 through connections (not shown) to the position indicated in Fig. 4 where the indicator head -47 appears through a sight opening 47a in the casing. The described mechanism thus provides a simple compact device operable reliably and with certainty, to register a succession of votes, the bars 15, 29 mutually coperating to control the key spindle and being controlled in turn by the ent-rance and exit levers of the machine. It is to be noted that the provision for turning back the key spindle' to permit changing a vote before the voter leaves the booth is of a positive and reliable character, with the possibility of improper manipulation eliminated. My improved construction makes it possible to dispose the slide bars 15, 29 nearer together and thus makes the apparatus more compact than has been the case with previous mechanism employing similar slide bars, so far as I am aware.

I am aware that the various features of the invention can be embodied in other specilic forms without departing from the spirit thereof and I therefore desire the present embodiment to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive and I refer to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus of the kind described, comprising a key spindle, a slide bar at each side of said spindle, and means mounted to turn with said spindle, with a lost motion connection, and arranged to co-act with said slide bars to permit the key spindle to be -prising a key spindle,

turned forward to a determinate extent for voting, and to be turned back at predetermined times to change a vote.

2. Apparatus of the kind described, coma slide bar at one side thereof having tooth engagement with said spindle, a member mounted on said -spindle to turn therewith with a lost motion connection, and a second slide bar having provision to control said member, to permit turning of the key spindle, a determinate extent for voting.,

3. Apparatus of the kind described, comprising a key spindle, a slide bar having provision to be moved endwise by said key spindle, a member mounted on said key spindle to turn therewith with a lost motion connection, said member having stop elements, stop devices coperative with said stop elements, and a second slide bar having provision to control said member, and thereby the spindle to permit the spindle to turn orvvard'a determinate extent for voting, and to be turned back at predetermined times to change a vote.

4:. Apparatus of the kind described, comprising a key spindle having opposite teeth tiXed thereto, a slide bar formed with a rack engageable by said teeth, a ring mounted on said spindle with provision to be turned therewith with a lost motion connection, said ring having stop elements and there being fixed stop elements cooperative therewith, and a second slide bar having provision to control theA turning of said ring and thereby the spindle for the purpose stated.

5. A device of the kind described, com- 'i prising a key spindle, equipped with teeth, a shde bar having a rack engageable by said teeth, a ring mounted on said spindle having a lost motionconnection therewith, said ring having two sets of stop elements, a pair of stop arms coperating with one of said sets of stop elements, and a slide bar coperative with the other 'set of stop elements to control the turning of said ring and thereby of the key spindle for the purpose stated.

6. A device of the kind described, comprising a key spindle equipped with teeth, a slide bar having a rack engageable by said teeth, a member mounted to turn with said spindle and equipped with stop elements, and a second slide bar having abutments to engage with said stop elements to control the turning of said member and thereby of the key spindle to permit determinate forward turning of said spindle, and backward turning thereof at predetermined times to change a vote.

7. A device of the kind described, comprising a key spindle equipped with teeth, a slide bar having a rack engageable by said teeth, a ring mounted to turn with said spindle with a lost motion connection, said ring having two sets of stop elements, stop arms at each side of said ring coperative with one set of stop elements, and a second slide bar formed to coperate with the other set of stop elements for controlling the turning of said ring, said slide bar having also provision -for tripping one of said stop arms. In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES A. BUTLER. Witnesses:

LOUISE-A. JORDAN, C. L. ROGERS. 

